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Store owner gets up to 23 months for selling synthetic marijuana

By Becky Metrick

bmetrick@publicopinionnews.com @BeckyMetrickPO on Twitter

Updated:
01/31/2014 05:52:08 PM EST

Chambersburg >> Surjit Singh Dhillion, 45, arrested on Jan. 14 for selling synthetic marijuana at his business Molly, Pitcher Mini-Mart, pleaded guilty to felony possession with intent to deliver on Jan. 28 and was sentenced at Franklin County Courthouse on Tuesday. Dhillion will serve between 14 days and 23 months in jail, with credit for the two weeks he was in jail after his arrest, according to online court documents. He is also facing more than three years of probation and 300 hours of community service. He is not allowed to consume any alcohol or controlled substances, or own firearms. He was ordered to pay $2,721 in fines.

Dhillion was arrested after a Franklin County Drug Task Force had a criminal informant buy a package of synthetic marijuana from Dhillion, while under police surveillance, on Jan. 14, according to court documents. The drugs were seized and tested positive as synthetic marijuana.

When investigators searched Dhillion's store at 13640 Molly Pitcher Highway, they found "a significant quantity" of synthetic marijuana, as well as devices for smoking and ingesting the drugs, according to court documents. Many of the items had been hidden throughout the building, such as in the drop ceiling and insulation, mixed in with other merchandise and hidden behind panels.

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In police interviews Dhillion said he kept the substance in his store for personal use, according to court documents. Police found more packets of the substance in his front pants pockets after his arrest.

A .22 caliber North American Arms revolver was also found, which was listed as stolen in Franklin County, according to court documents.

Four of the five charges Dhillion was arrested for were dropped in the plea agreement. These changes include another count of felony possession with intent to deliver, knowing distribution of a designer drug, use and or possession of drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property.

Also in Franklin County Court this week:

• Ricky Lynn Hatfield, 41, charged with aggravated assault while driving under the influence, waived his preliminary hearing on Tuesday, with his mandatory arraignment rescheduled to March 5. Originally, his mandatory arraignment was scheduled for early February.

Hatfield is accused of causing an accident that left two people critically injured after Hatfield, driving a tractor-trailer, hit their two vehicles, on Nov. 13, according to court documents. Hatfield fled the scene and was found later in the restroom of the Cebco Gas Station. Hatfield's blood alcohol concentration was .171 percent, and he told a nurse at Chambersburg Hospital that he normally takes four 30 mg oxycodone tablets a day due to back pain.

Hatfield is in Franklin County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.

• Christopher Reed, 34, charged with aggravated assault of a police officer and intimidation of a witness, waived his preliminary hearing on Tuesday. Reed allegedly assaulted a woman and threatened her multiple times, causing her to fear for her life, according to court documents. After the victim left the residence where the attack happened, he continued to yell at her, and took her phone.

After he was arrested, he tried to hurt himself with his belt while in the holding cell, according to court documents. When an officer entered the cell to stop him, Reed struggled with the officer. Reed took a fighting stance and refused to sit on the bed, and another officer used his Taser to prevent further assault by Reed, according to court documents.

Reed is in Franklin County Jail on $100,000 bail for the charges relating to the assault of the woman, and $200,000 for the assault of the law officer.